Vote for me -- I’m shady or stupid but hey, nobody’s perfect!
Are some voters just very dumb -- or very, very loyal? The question arises because there seem to be an awful lot of politicians up for election or reelection in 2012 who have amply demonstrated that they have no business at all in public office -- yet there’s a strong chance they’ll win their seats anyway.
There is, no doubt, more than one reason for this. It may be that these candidates live in districts where voters just aren’t very well informed. Or even in places where a large number of voters actually agree with outrageous statements that, in other places, would disqualify a nominee (see: Todd Akin). Some ethnic minority candidates seem to get reelected time after time regardless of taint or scandal; it may be that their voters care more about a leader’s ability to bring home the bacon than his or her misdeeds, or that a politician’s ethnicity simply matters more to them than performance, or even sanity (see: Jesse Jackson Jr.).
Whatever the reason, the surprising political resilience of these seven candidates brings up an old truism: People get the representation they deserve.
SEE THE LIST: DON’T REELECT THESE POLITICIANS
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